130 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXTU. 



paratory to dropping, but each time it did so a few 

 birds would hurry out and drop back into the weeds- 

 a little further on. Time after time the Harrier 

 turned and twisted, swooped and rose and its legs 

 were over and over again seen to shoot out as a bird 

 came within striking distance, but each time it 

 missed its prey by inches. Up one bank and down 

 the other it went, times innumerable, but did not 

 succeed in getting a single bird. There was a wide 

 open plain on either side of the water-course and 

 the birds which had taken shelter among the weeds 

 appeared to be very loth to leave it, for they merely 

 flew, when the Harrier got directly above them, for a 

 short distance and went into the rushes again a 

 little further on, only to be flushed again. 



The flight is light and graceful but slow, a bout of 

 flapping being followed by sailing and frequent 

 '' banking " as the bird half turns from one side to 

 the other, as though unable to make up its mind as 

 to which side it should go. Harriers generally are 

 not very often seen soaring in the winter, but during 

 their bi-annual migrations they may frequently be 

 seen circling high \\]i in the air> 



When circling the wings are held very nearly in 

 line with the body, though slightly upwards inclined. 

 Whilst flying over scrub, i.e.. when hunting, the 

 wings are frequently seen to be held well over the 

 plane of the body for short distances. The tail is 

 long and projects well beyond the line of the wings 

 and the bird somewhat resembles a Goshawk, but the 

 wings are relatively longer and narrower. 



The Pale Harrier is a winter visitant to India and 

 nothing is known of its nidifleation in this country. 



On the wing this species can generally be distin- 

 guished from the Hen-Harrier by its marked upper 

 tail-coverts, if the back can be seen and in the case 

 of the male by its lighter under parts, as well as the 

 tail-coverts. In the Hen-Harrier a bluish-grey 

 marking will be noticed on the chin and upper breast, 

 whereas this is wanting in the Pale Harrier in which 

 the chin and upper breast are, at most, a very pale 



No, I3:?o. Circus cyaneus. The Hen-Harrier. 



CJmraderistics. Size medium, wing about 14"; tarsi under S" ; 



outer iceb of oth quill notched. 



Colourarion. Adult viale. Very similar to the preceding 



species, except that the general colouration is some- 

 what darker, being a more bluey grey, especially on 

 the upper breast and throat. "There is a distinct 

 white nuchal patch with brown shaft-stripes." 

 Upper tail-coverts are pure icliite. 



" The adult female is distinguished from that of 

 C. macrurus by having the margins of the head and 

 neck-feathers more rufous, by the rufous markings 

 on the wing-coverts and scapulars being larger and 



